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"So, which shade do you like best, white wisp, cloud white, or chantilly lace?" Nirei excitedly asked, pointing to the three buckets of paint that sat on the plastic drop cloth.
Sakura shrugged, narrowing his eyes at the paint cans, which to him looked like the same color.
"Does it matter? It’s all the same." He grunted, furrowing his brows in puzzlement over Nirei’s excitement over paint.
Nirei groaned, "It’s not the same, each shade is different. Which do you like Suou-san?"
Suou had the same placid smile as always, tilting his head slightly, making his tassels sway.
"I like whatever you choose," he simply said, making Nirei let out a frustrated sigh.
"You guys, this is important. We all have to choose a color we all like-" Nirei than went on a tangent on how if we were to all live together, everyone must agree on everything.
Sakura watched as Nirei began blabbering to Suou about the paint colors, his thoughts going back to how they all came to live together to begin with.
After the whole incident with Endo, it ended leaving Sakura with a lot of… damage.
Sakura’s own self-hatred, fear, and guilt ate him up. He began to distance himself with everyone, snapping at everyone, and closing himself up again.
Sakura drowned in his self loathing, seeing how much his friends cared for him, loved him, and wanted him around. He failed to make it up then them by failing to save them, needing their protection instead.
The words that he was about to say to Endo that day, the words that would’ve saved Bofurin, the words he dreaded to say were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say it… why?
He knew why, it’s because he was selfish, he got greedy, he didn’t want to leave, he didn’t want to leave the only place he’s ever felt safe, comfortable, and loved.
He didn’t want to leave his… home.
When Hiragi and Togame showed up, along with Nirei and Suou, even Sugishita be his side, in that moment, he felt useless, a failure to his friends, to Umemiya.
Sakura knew the fight wasn’t over, it was not over until Sakura won, which he didn’t.
He only got lucky that day.
Sakura hated himself even more, he felt like a burden. His whole world was cloaked in darkness, judgmental eyes watching him, scrutinizing him in that dark abyss he was falling from. Then, color sprouted when he joined Bofurin, and their eyes held adoration instead of disgust.
Sakura knew he couldn’t fail them again, so he put some distance, fearing this new feeling he had for Bofurin slowly consuming him, and training harder than ever before to not fail again.
He refused to fail again.
However, Nirei and Suou saw how different Sakura was acting, trying to speak to him about it, but Sakura always manages to sneak away.
Unfortunately for Nirei, his house burned down, how? He left the oven on when trying to bake cupcakes for everyone, but ended up falling asleep instead.
So, with Nirei homeless, Sakura felt an obligation to asked an unexpected question, "D-… do you want to stay with me..?"
Of course Nirei eagerly accepted, giving Sakura a tight squeeze, making a powerful shade of maroon canvas his whole body.
On moving day, with Sakura helping Nirei bring his belongings into his apartment, Suou unexpectedly came over with his own luggage in his hands.
"Won’t it be fun for all of us to live together?" Suou asked, yet his tone was more of a command than a request.
Before Sakura could retort back, Nirei immediately said yes, dragging Suou’s things inside.
So, that’s how they’re all living together now.
He glanced at Nirei still chattering away about what decorations should be put up and Suou listening keenly, nodding along to what the freckled boy was saying.
He walked over to them, placing a hand on Nirei’s shoulder.
Nirei and Suou turned to face Sakura, looking intently at him with smiles on their faces.
When he saw their smiles, a thought raced passed his mind.
I don’t want to leave…
"I-… I like white wisp the best…" Sakura murmured, the tips of his ears alarming bright pink.
Both Nirei and Suou answered, "Then, that’s what we’ll choose!"